Do you think this blade is a little tired?

[Logan09]

Or is it just me.

 

Seriously though, has anyone seen anything like this before? I didn't weigh the blade but it must've weighed no more than 8oz(19.5" overall blade) those aren't even the thinner spots on the blade, some measured as low as 1mm near the kissaki.

[SAS]

It looks to have been polished down quite a bit; whether it is tired, depends on how old it is and what the rest looks like (kind of like people)

[Logan09]

The blade was Bent, had a few Ware and looked like the hamon ran off near the kissaki. But was in bad polish and really hard to tell. I do not have the blade anymore. Was Shobu-Zukuri but mumei.

[ggil]

From the caliper photo, It’s sort of diamond shaped and it looks like you are measuring the mune not the kasane. If it’s really >6mm under the habaki and <2mm near the kissaki (near where the ideal point of impact is), then yeah a lottle tired.

[Logan09]

The Caliper is actually a little above the shinogi-ji. Here was the habaki fitment.

[ggil]

Whoa! amazing a polisher took it that far down. Steve has a point in that it could be a reference for a smith that forged a single piece (Maru construction) but blades polished down this much should be reTIRED, or given the restful peace they deserve. I wouldn’t trust it to swing, not that I’d trust myself to swing nihonto at anything anyway.

[Logan09]

I myself thought why a togishi would polish this blade down this far. We/I will probably never know. I just thought I'd share as I have never seen this before.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the bend that was in the blade was caused by a gust of wind. Considering how thin it was.

[PNSSHOGUN]

The shape could've also originally been Unokubi Zukuri. Regardless, quite remarkable, I would have kept purely as a curio/joke piece.

[16k]

Maybe that blade suffered from anorexia? :lol

[Alex A]

Yes, compare the thickness at the Hamachi to a little further down the blade.

[SAS]

The Japanese have a saying, better to wear out than rust away, or something like  that.

[Tom Darling]

Logan, can you show us both sides of the nakago, and does it have a hamon?  Thank you.

 

 

Tom D.

[Stephen]

The Japanese have a saying, better to wear out than rust away, or something like that.

 

Steve i think that was Neil Young...lol

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hmm, 13 posts and 12 replies later and the question still hasn't been answered.

[Brian]

Question? There's a question?
Where?
I take it more as a "look how polished down this blade is"
Surely there can't be a real question of "Is this blade tired?" as there is no strict definition of when a blade is tired, and it is a general condition where a sword is worn out. There can be no absolute statement of how much shingane must show for it to be tired. If it looks past it...it's tired. There is no formula and no absolute answer.
So I ask you, what is the question?

[nagamaki - Franco]

OK, fine. 

 

As you were.

[Brian]

If you want a question...
Let's assume a Koto tanto without core steel. Made of one steel, no shingane. When is it consdered tired? If polished down to the point that it is flexible...is it tired or just worn out? Or still just an overpolished tanto?

[Tom Darling]

The unknown raises more interest than it deserves.

 

 

 

Tom D.